The UK is set for some heavy downpours over the next few days which is good news for gardeners  – my water butt is almost empty and the ground is very hard.

The Environment Agency have been very concerned about the water supply situation and issued this update just a few weeks ago.

http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/static/documents/Leisure/31_Drought_management_briefing_12_Jan_12.pdf

Its easy to fit a water butt and they can make a real difference in times of drought. Check out these websites for advice and stockists.

http://www.savewater.co.uk/

http://waterbuttsdirect.co.uk/

http://www.dobbies.co.uk/acatalog/Water-Butts.html

http://www.mygreenerhome.co.uk/water-butts-14/750-litre-wall-tank-water-butt-71.html

http://www.crocus.co.uk/products/_/tools/water-butts/prcid.97/

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/water-meters-could-be-made-compulsory-in-all-british-homes-2198448.html

The quickest way to keep your water bills down is to fit a water butt and store the huge amounts of rain that usually falls on UK gardens during the winter .

You can buy a water butt from most garden centres or DIY stores or collect rainwater in any watertight receptacle .

Here are ten key things to consider:  

1.A water butt can be plastic or wooden but try to buy one made from recycled materials   

2.To make the most of your butt, connect it to the downpipe from your guttering  

3.Many water butts come with a simple connection kit and it is really easy to do

4 Some have a tap at the bottom of the barrel which makes it easy to fill a watering can or fix a hose.

5.If your barrel doesn’t have a tap, you’ll have to scoop water out from the top

6.A lid or fine mesh will stop leaves and small animals from falling in

7.You don’t want to feed your garden guests in one place and drown them in another

8.Sometimes algae grows in the water, but avoid using chemicals to get rid of it as they won’t be good for wildlife.

9.You can scoop it out by hand, or even empty the whole lot every now and then and give it a good scrub.

10.If you don’t put a lid on your butt, remove leaves and twigs regularly and put in a plank so that animals can climb out.

Next time there’s a hosepipe ban and not a cloud in the sky, your garden will thank you for a good soaking of natural rainwater plus your water bills will be less!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/sep/10/britain-braces-itself-for-storms-and-floods

Time to make sure you can capture some of the expected heavy rainfall by installing a water butt.

You can buy water butts everywhere now – on line, in garden centres, supermarkets and even garages .

There are many different types, shapes and sizes – try to buy water butts using re-cycled materials  if possible.

Here are just a selection to inspire you:

http://waterbuttsdirect.co.uk/

http://www.waterbutts.com/

http://www.dobbies.co.uk/acatalog/Water-Butts.html

http://www.suttons.co.uk/Shop/Gardening+Equipment/Watering+Equipment/Water+Butts/List/?gclid=CKWf9I2o2JoCFQ0FZgod-xhI2Q

http://www.mygreenerhome.co.uk/water-butts-14/750-litre-wall-tank-water-butt-71.html

http://www.selections.com/garden-products/irrigation/water-butts/

http://www.crocus.co.uk/products/_/tools/water-butts/prcid.97/

When we talk about climate change, we talk about changes in long-term averages of daily weather.Here are some interesting websites that explain more about weather and climate:

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/noaa-n/climate/climate_weather.html

http://eo.ucar.edu/basics/

Wherever you live in the world and whatever your climate or weather, rain is crucial to our survival  – it feeds our crops to provide the food that is the life source that makes our bodies function.

With more rain forecast in the UK over the next few days, it would be wise to make sure we capture as much of it as possible. and not it simply disapear down the drains.A staggering 100,000 litres of rainwater fall on the roof of every UK home every year.

Buying a water butt is the simplest way to harvest the rain and use it in your garden.

• To make the most of your butt, connect it to the downpipe from your guttering. Many water butts come with a simple connection kits and it’s really easy to do.
• A water butt can be plastic or wooden. Some have a tap at the bottom of the barrel which makes it easy to fill a watering can or fix a hose.
• If your barrel doesn’t have a tap, you’ll have to scoop water out from the top. A lid of fine mesh will stop leaves and small animals from falling in – you don’t want to feed your garden guests in one place and drown them in another!

Check out these sites for more inspiration:

http://www.waterwise.org.uk/reducing_water_wastage_in_the_uk/house_and_garden/water_butts.html

http://www.waterbuttsdirect.co.uk

England and Wales had their driest March in more than 60 years, with some parts of Cambridgeshire having less than 2mm – less than is normally recorded in the Sahara desert at this time of year – according to figures released by the government’s centre for hydrology and ecology (CEH). Experts warned that the next few weeks could be critical for water companies, farmers and wildlife, and could determine whether there are hosepipe bans later in the year.http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/apr/14/hosepipe-ban-driest-march-60-years

http://www.ceh.ac.uk/news/news_archive/Mar2011-hydrological-summary_2011_20.html

Droughts are more common as a result of climate change and we need to think seriosuly about how we source and use our water – especially in the garden.http://www.vimeo.com/10868252

Any new plants I add to my garden this year have been chosen as they can cope with drought. One of my favourites  is the Australian Bottle Brush, now a common sight in many UK gardens.

http://www.myclimatechangegarden.com/blog/bottle-brush

If you are looking for drought resistant plants to beat the expected drought this summer visit these excellent specialist nurseries for inspiration:

http://www.myclimatechangegarden.com/blog/buy-drought-tolerant-plants